Public
lectures
in Aotearoa

12:00pm

He Puna Kōrero | Mahuru Māori Speaker Series

Weekly Māori language leaders share insights to support reo Māori learning and community engagement during Mahuru Māori.

4:10pm

Writing Musical Lives

Norman Meehan explores biography and memoir writing in Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on musical lives.

5:30pm

Book Launch: He Kete Kīwaha

Professor Black launches He Kete Kīwaha, a practical guide to Māori idioms, exploring the research behind understanding everyday turns of phrase in te reo Māori.

11:00am

Energy Centre Seminar: Trust, Transition and Tension

Seminar exploring communication challenges around natural gas's role in the energy transition.

5:10pm

Japan's Vision Towards a Free & Open Indo-Pacific

Ambassador Makoto Osawa explores Japan's evolving Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision and its relevance to New Zealand's regional role.

5:30pm

POSTPONED: A Conversation with the High Commissioner of India, H.E. Miss Muanpuii Saiawi

High Commissioner of India Miss Muanpuii Saiawi discusses India–New Zealand bilateral relations, geopolitics, foreign policy, and trade.

5:30pm

Hood Fellowship lecture – Prof. Ian Wilson

Prof. Ian Wilson (University of Cambridge) delivers a Hood Fellowship lecture at the University of Auckland.

6:00pm

Book Launch: Bodies and Space in Architectural Drawing: Line, Movement, Scale

Book launch exploring how architects use drawing as a bodily and spatial practice, with authors Marian Macken and Carl Douglas.

12:00pm

Kakariki, from Ship Cove and Teawaiti, August 1839 by Charles Heaphy

Curator Ken Hall discusses Charles Heaphy's 1839 watercolour of a kakariki parakeet, on display in the Bird Land exhibition.

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Dr. Yoo Young Dominique Lee

Author Talks

Oncologist Dr. Yoo Young (Dominique) Lee and a paediatrician share kōrero on health, medicine, and their professional experiences.

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Author talk and book launch with Vicky Adin

Vicky Adin discusses her memoir Where Stories Lie Buried, exploring genealogy and family history behind her novels.

12:30pm

Performance-Based Attrition and Decreasing Returns to Scale

Associate Professor Min Zhu examines fund flows and active management performance through the lens of the Berk and Green model.

1:00pm

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori | Tour of Ngā Taonga Tūturu: Treasured Māori Portraits

Guided tour of Ngā Taonga Tūturu, a collection of treasured Māori portraits, during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori at Auckland Art Gallery.

4:10pm

Multimodal dynamics: from measuring the understanding of explanations to early prediction of dyslexia

Postdoctoral researcher Olcay Turk explores multimodal dynamics in understanding explanations and early prediction of dyslexia.

5:00pm

Opening: He maramara tupu aranga: Carin Wilson and 50 years of Aotearoa design

Opening of an exhibition exploring Carin Wilson's five-decade career in furniture, sculpture, and design that helped define Aotearoa's aesthetic.

5:30pm

New Caledonian Film Festival 2026

Exclusive screening of films from the New Caledonia Film Festival 2026, preceded by a workshop.

7:00am

Patrons Preview with Grace Wright

Exclusive studio visit with artist Grace Wright offering insight into her practice and works in progress ahead of her Toi Tauranga exhibition.

11:00am

Coffee & Croissants: Seeing what takes form with Carin Wilson and Steven Junil Park

Carin Wilson and Steven Junil Park discuss Wilson's five-decade design retrospective He maramara tupu aranga, exploring functional object-making and material practice.

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Before the Michelin Guide: Eating out in Auckland

Historian Felicity Barnes and Andy Fenton trace Auckland's dining history from department store tearooms to milk bars, using historical newspaper sources.

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Cultural Conversation Café

A guided community conversation exploring stories, memories, and cultural traditions of belonging, migration, language, and intergenerational knowledge.

1:00pm

Open Forum: A school beside the school?

Forum exploring what contemporary art education might look like if reimagined outside traditional university structures, embedded in communities and artist-led initiatives.

2:00pm

Artist talk with Miranda Bellamy & Amanda Fauteux

Exhibiting artists Miranda Bellamy and Amanda Fauteux converse with interdisciplinary artist Colleen Coco Collins.

2:00pm

Miranda Bellamy & Amanda Fauteux in Conversation

Exhibiting artists Miranda Bellamy and Amanda Fauteux discuss their exhibition touchsprings with interdisciplinary artist Colleen Coco Collins.

3:00pm

Visit Heritage Pubs

Allan Matson presents an illustrated history of Auckland's early neighbourhood pubs and their role as social hubs in the growing city.

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Food stories from Waiheke Island

Three presentations explore Waiheke Island's culinary history, from pioneering winemakers to traditional kūmara growing and early farming families.

10:00am

Claudia Jarman Memorial Lecture 2026

Claire Regnault explores modern women's lives 1920–1949 through dress, art, and design, focusing on figures from the 1940 NZ Centennial Exhibition.

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Chinese Market Gardening In Parnell

Author Talks

Local historian Ruth Lam discusses Chinese market gardening in Parnell from the late 1800s, focusing on Chan Dah Chee and Auckland's horticultural heritage.

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Rationing 1939-1950: The household experience

Lynley Stone explores domestic rationing in New Zealand from 1939–1950, examining how wartime restrictions shaped household life and the broader social context.

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An illustrated talk: From mid-winter feast to Christmas Eve supper

Illustrated talk exploring mid-winter feasting traditions in Europe, colonial New Zealand, and the 12-course Polish Christmas Eve Wigilia supper with regional variations.

2:00pm

Cold, tired and hungry in Antarctica

Heritage Highlights

Antarctic Heritage Trust staff describe the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, preserving heroic-era expedition bases left by Scott, Shackleton, Borchgrevink, and Hillary.

5:00pm

Trundle Lecture 2026

Trundle Lecture exploring Rome's rise to power through the lenses of Mediterranean geography, place, and indigeneity.

5:30pm

September - AI Engineering Auckland

Prompt Poets Society

AI Engineering Auckland's first-anniversary meetup featuring talks on AI-assisted coding, Navier-Stokes research, and industry insights.

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Talk: Don't leave a mess - Leave a legacy

Wendy Hampton presents essential guidance on creating an estate plan to secure your legacy.

1:30pm

College Majors and Skill Mismatch: From Micro Wage Losses to Macro Output Losses

Associate Professor Satoshi Tanaka examines aggregate and distributional consequences of college major–occupation mismatch.

4:10pm

Writing This Pākehā Life

Alison Jones explores contemporary autobiography and memoir writing in Aotearoa New Zealand.

6:00pm

Matthew Trundle Memorial Lecture: In-Mediterranean, Definite Places, and Indigeneity

Prof Franco De Angelis contextualizes Rome's rise to power within Mediterranean history, indigeneity, and regional identity.

6:00pm

Ngā Aho: Kora Session

Ngā Aho whānau members present insights into their creative practice through rapid-fire presentations at this second 2026 Kora Session.

6:00pm

Inaugural Lecture of Professor Erin Griffey

Professor Erin Griffey explores court portraits, material culture, and cosmetic practices in early modern Europe.

6:00pm

Hudson and Halls: The Food of Love

Joanne Drayton explores Hudson and Halls' cultural legacy—their role in shifting attitudes toward homosexuality and introducing international cuisine to 1980s New Zealand.

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Field to Table: The Pukekohe Dehydration Factory

Heritage specialist Cara Francesco examines the Pukekohe Dehydration Factory, built during WWII to supply US Pacific forces, and its post-war fate.

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Ngā Kōrero Rererangi Aviation Conversations: Jean Batten

Susan Tolich, MOTAT Curator of Transport, explores aviation pioneer Jean Batten's remarkable journeys, aircraft choices, and technical innovations.

2:00pm

Grown in Point Chevalier

Point Chevalier Historical Society traces local food history from pre-1840 Māori settlements through early farms and historic shops before supermarkets.

5:30pm

Maths, medicine and motherhood: A journey through life in bioengineering

Alys Clark's inaugural lecture on how bioengineering can transform reproductive health and early-life care.

6:30pm

Ngā Kōrero Rererangi Aviation Conversations

A celebration of aviation pioneer Jean Batten's life, achievements, and legacy in New Zealand aviation history.

6:00pm

Monica Macansantos

Author Talks

Author Monica Macansantos discusses her writing journey and reads from her essay and story collections, with live saxophone by Julian Bucay.

10:30am

Offsite talk at Ellerslie Racecourse Grandstand with Bhaveeka Madagammana and Tane Pamatatau: A collaborative conversation with Waiatarua

Bhaveeka Madagammana and Tane Pamatatau explore how acknowledging Waiatarua's deep history—buried beneath the Ellerslie Racecourse Grandstand—might reshape how we conceive of and develop Tāmaki Makaurau.

12:00pm

“Salty Blood and Tears”, Ocean Stories 2: Moananui Talanoa

Professor Albert Refiti leads a talanoa on names for Te Moana Nui a Kiwa and their cultural and historical significance across the Pacific region.

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Heritage talk: When a dream set sail

Bill Deed recounts his dream to restore a sailing ship in Waiuku and the river's role in the town's history as New Zealand's second busiest inland port.

2:00pm

Poetry Reading: Colleen Coco Collins, Sinag Fernandez, Arihia Hall, Mahalia Salesa

Poetry readings by visiting artist Colleen Coco Collins and Tāmaki Makaurau poets exploring Indigenous relationships to land amid colonialism and capitalism.

5:00pm

2026 Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture and Sargeson Prize

The 23rd annual Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture honours New Zealand writer Frank Sargeson's life and literary legacy.

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Exploring Sacred Spaces - SGI Buddhist Centre

SGI New Zealand traces 50 years of Nichiren Buddhism history and the Ellerslie Culture Centre's role in Auckland's interfaith and community heritage.

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Gohar Hone Tak: Poetry & Heritage

Launch of Ashar Hasan Ashar's autobiography with traditional mushaira poetry symposium celebrating Urdu literary heritage and migrant voices.

10:00am

Afternoon Tea with Bullmore

Join us for afternoon tea to celebrate the upcoming exhibition Edward Bullmore: TWENTY, with Curator Dr Penelope Jackson MNZM, on Tue 6 Oct, 4–5.30pm.

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Reflections on Auckland's volcanic landscape

Heritage landscape architect Stephen Brown examines Auckland's volcanic landscape history, pā sites, and the ongoing fight to protect volcanic viewshafts and sightlines.

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Food Histories: A Community Conversation

Community panel discussion exploring how recipes across generations carry stories of tradition, migration, resilience, and cultural identity in Tāmaki Makaurau.

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Onehunga Fencible & Historical Society Talk

Members of the Onehunga Fencible and Historical Society present an illustrated talk on Samuel and Matilda Furley, 19th-century shopowners and their cross-cultural trade practices.

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Culinary adventures

Food writer Lauraine Jacobs MNZM explores Aotearoa's culinary heritage and how eating habits, producers, and recipes have shaped national identity.

5:30pm

Hamilton Public Lecture

Hamilton Public Lecture

A public lecture on planning for risk, resilience and adaptation in the face of extreme weather events.

5:30pm

Why Go? Thoughts and Reflections from the Learning from Venice Workshop

A talk reflecting on insights and lessons from the Learning from Venice Workshop, exploring curatorial and artistic perspectives.

10:00am

Crops that shaped the Rodney District

Lyn Wade explores fruit-growing as a defining industry in the Rodney District, tracing orchardists like the Morrisons and the crops that shaped the region.

12:00pm

Webinar: so your pet needs anaesthesia

Webinar answering questions about anaesthesia for pets.

4:10pm

Owen Woodhouse—an unlikely revolutionary?

Professor Jim McAloon examines Owen Woodhouse (1916–2014) and his unlikely revolutionary impact in Aotearoa New Zealand.

6:00pm

Ata Mai: Perceptions and Interpretations of Art and Response

Spoken word poet Dietrich Soakai performs work on Pasifika identity in response to Made in the Pacific exhibition, accompanied by musician Vai Punivai.

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Ladies, A Talk: An Evening with Alexa Johnston

Author Alexa Johnston discusses the history of New Zealand home baking, kai, and iconic treats featured in her books 'Ladies, a Plate' and 'A Second Helping'.

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Returning home: Writing the Filipino experience

Monica Macansantos discusses writing about Filipino identity, family, and cultural experience through her memoirs and essays.

5:30pm

Inaugural lecture by Professor Sue Cherrington

Professor Sue Cherrington's inaugural lecture as Professor of Early Childhood Education at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

6:00pm

AKL Book Launch: Meditations of a Landscape Architect by David Irwin

David Irwin launches Meditations of a Landscape Architect, a collection of essays and photographs spanning four decades of landscape design practice.

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Colombia–Aotearoa: Shared Heritage

Open gathering on immigration and shared heritage, where Colombian and Aotearoa communities share personal stories and cultural traditions.

1:00pm

A curator's introduction to Picasso: Designed by Paul Smith

Dr Sophie Matthiesson introduces Picasso's life, art, and influence through the lens of Paul Smith's design collaboration.

9:00am

Picasso: Designed by Paul Smith — Members tour

Curator Dr Sophie Matthiesson leads a members-only tour of the Picasso and Paul Smith exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery.

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Robyn Pearce

Author Talks

Robyn Pearce discusses her work blending pre-Civil War American history with a New Zealand time-travel narrative.

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He Hākari Kōrero: A Feast of Stories

Cassius Makoare leads an immersive storytelling experience exploring Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei heritage through kai, whakapapa, and sensory engagement.

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The valley that fed a city

Jessie Munro traces how the Wairoa Valley's indigenous cultivation and colonial food trade shaped Clevedon and fed Auckland's growth.

1:00pm

Great Kiwi Brands

Phil Sai-Louie explores iconic New Zealand food and drink brands including Tip Top, Georgie Pie, Lemon & Paeroa, and Edmonds Baking Powder and their role in Aotearoa's cultural history.

2:00pm

From Earthy Cradle to Chip Pottle

Matt Elliott explores the Birkdale/Beach Haven area's history—from Māori food gathering to the region's renowned strawberry-growing industry and the invention of wooden punnets.

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6th International Symposium on the 'Ocean in a High CO2 World'

International scientific symposium on ocean acidification and climate change, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

5:10pm

New Zealand's Strategic (in)Security: Accelerating Digital Frontier, Defence Deficit, Eroding Home Front

Dr Reuben Steff argues New Zealand faces compounding strategic insecurity across digital technology, defence capability, and domestic resilience amid great power competition.

5:30pm

Copyright Law and Generative AI

Professor Mark A. Lemley (Stanford University) examines the intersection of copyright law and generative AI.

5:30pm

Rainbows in Space—Using Spectroscopy to Understand the Earth and Mars

Professor Randy Pollock explores how spectroscopy reveals the composition and properties of Earth and Mars in this inaugural lecture.

2:00pm

Reshaping the Avon Ōtākaro

Heritage Highlights

Dave Little, CCC Manager of the Residential Red Zone, traces the history of Christchurch's eastern suburbs from the 2010/11 earthquakes through current ecological and flood resilience regeneration.

2:00pm

Address by Diana Reaich

Diana Reaich, Associate Deputy Director-General of Trade and International Relations at the Ministry of Primary Industries, addresses the NZIIA.

6:00pm

Wavelengths of Discovery: from Laser-Ultrasound to Seismology

Elastic wave propagation reveals hidden physical properties of matter, from laser-ultrasound to seismic applications.

6:00pm

CHCH Book Launch: Meditations of a Landscape Architect

Launch of David Irwin's essay and photography collection on landscape architecture, drawing on four decades of design practice across Aotearoa.

7:30pm

Address by Dr Beth Greener

Dr Beth Greener examines 'whole of society security' as a response to polycrises—complex emergencies where natural disasters, misinformation, and transnational crime intersect.

4:00pm

Anna Pavlova in New Zealand – A Centennial Celebration

Wellington dance writer Jennifer Shennan and Christchurch art historian Ian Lochhead examine Russian dancer Anna Pavlova's transformative 1926 New Zealand tour and its cultural impact.

6:00pm

Jane Simpson

Author Talks

Dr Jane Simpson launches her fourth poetry collection, Imagined Scar, exploring lockdown, cancer diagnosis, history, science, and art.

4:00pm

Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium 2026

Faculty of Education symposium celebrating Professor Graham Nuthall's legacy and influential classroom research in Aotearoa New Zealand.

12:00pm

Economies of ‘truth’: alien materialities and the construction of history in contemporary Peru

Dr Corinna Howland examines how theories of extraterrestrial origins and alien encounters shape historical narratives and material understandings in contemporary Peru.

5:30pm

Auckland Collectors’ Night Out – Presented by Objectspace & ECC

Guided evening visiting three Auckland collectors' homes with Objectspace director Kim Paton discussing art and craft collecting practices.

5:30pm

Healthy soil for healthy water

Lecture on soil's dual role in water contamination: as a source of pollutants and as a protective filter, covering pesticides, PFAS, and nanoparticles.

6:00pm

Beyond Geopolitics: Emerging Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific

Joanne Ou, Representative of Taiwan to New Zealand, discusses emerging security challenges and geopolitical shifts affecting the Indo-Pacific region.

2:00pm

Those Days of Clear Blue Skies

Exhibition pairing 1936 artworks by Rita Angus, Louise Henderson, and Julia Scarvell with contemporary responses exploring art, ecology, and belonging in Aotearoa.

5:00pm

Bergquist Fellow Lecture: Professor Colin Brauner

Professor Colin Brauner discusses fish adaptation to aquatic environments and contemporary environmental change.

10:00am

Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam

Twelve local poets compete in the sixth annual Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam, a high-energy performance event celebrating original work across all styles.

12:00pm

Your questions answered: understanding elections in New Zealand

Practical insights on New Zealand's electoral system and democratic engagement.

5:30pm

It’s the little things that count: lessons in metabolism, academia and life

Professor Jennifer Miles-Chan delivers her Inaugural Lecture exploring lessons found at the intersection of metabolism, academia, and everyday life.

5:30pm

Left Behind Is a Sales Technique

Julia Pahina and Eteroa Lafaele of Fibre Fale AI examine how fear and urgency are weaponised in AI adoption, and how leaders can make independent decisions.

6:00pm

The science behind the 2026 Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics

Three Victoria University researchers explore the science behind the 2026 Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics.

2:00pm

Address by Paul Conway

Paul Conway, Chief Economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, addresses economic topics at the NZIIA.

9:00am

Counting What Counts: Comparative Conversations on Intellectual Property

Intellectual property academics, practitioners and policy professionals explore the quantitative dimensions shaping IP law and policy.

5:30pm

S.T. Lecture in Antarctic Studies 2026

Associate Professor Cassandra Brooks presents the annual S.T. Lee Lecture in Antarctic Studies.

5:45pm

Taxation & Deglobalisation

Professor Reuven Avi-Yonah explores taxation and deglobalisation in this Faculty of Law Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series lecture.